I once went on a spiritual retreat at a state park. The cool wind blowing on the beach that day became for me a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

The strong breeze of the Holy Spirit powerfully swept away things that were draining my spiritual life away and swept me up into new life in the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is like the wind.

In creation “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1:2). Since the Hebrew word for Spirit and wind is the same, God’s movement in creation can be characterized as a wind from God.

Many strong winds destroy. But the strong, blowing wind of the Spirit creates in us a pure heart and renews a steadfast spirit within us (Psalm 51:10).

God gave the prophet Ezekiel a vision of lifeless dry bones. Yet God would make breath enter these dry bones. They would come to life, stand up on their feet, and become a vast army (Ezekiel 37:5-10).

Jesus said, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).

The Spirit blows wherever he pleases, unpredictably, according to God’s plan.

You can’t see the Holy Spirit at work. But you can see the evidence of new birth in others. And you can see the evidence of changes in yourself.

In creation God breathed into Adam the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). After his resurrection, Jesus breathed on his disciples imparting the Holy Spirit to them (John 20:22).

Breathe spiritually – breathe out your old life and breathe in new spiritual life.

On the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 gathered, they heard “a sound like the blowing of a violent wind” that came from heaven and filled the whole house (Acts 2:2).

It was like the deep, deafening roar of a Boeing 727 at take off. The noise shook the house down to its foundation and drew a crowd. Listen to those powerful movements of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is like the wind. Go where the Wind is blowing.